Foam deposition apparatus

ABSTRACT

In an apparatus for the deposition of hardenable foamable compositions wherein a strip of foamable liquid composition is deposited within a restraining channel and subsequently hardened by means of a centrifugal dispensing head to form a hollow generally tubular strip, improved uniformity is obtained employing a spinning mandrel which projects into the portion of the strip during the foaming and partial curing.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a Division of application Ser. No. 634,997 filed Nov. 24, 1975,now U.S. Pat. No. 4,034,027, which in turn is a Continuation ofapplication Ser. No. 487,073, filed July 10, 1974, now abandoned, whichin turn is a Continuation of Ser. No. 302,840 filed Nov. 1, 1972, nowabandoned.

This invention is an improvement in the apparatus and method disclosedin U.S. Pat. No. 3,443,276, herewith incorporated by reference. Reactivefoam materials are deposited in a plurality of strips or loops andbeneficially in a generally helical spiral manner to provide walledstructures. Such structures can be made with preformed plastic foamstrips which are welded or bonded to each other, or alternately can beformed by depositing successive strips of hardenable foamable liquidmaterial such as polyurethane resin components. One particularlyadvantageous technique is to centrifugally deposit urethane foam formingcomponents in a generally rectangular enclosure. Three sides of theenclosure can be moving belts while the fourth side can be an alreadydeposited foam layer.

The resultant strip is in the form of a hollow rectangular tube whichoptionally may have an opening extending longitudinally therethrough. Inmany instances such an opening is very desirable in that it serves as apassage for various services such as electrical conductors, heating andcooling air, communication lines and the like. The passage can also beemployed with benefit during the preparation of a structure as a heatexchange fluid passageway to assist in curing the deposited foamedresin. Deposition of a hollow strip of uniform geometry is difficultparticularly under varying field conditions. Very minor changes intemperature conditions can result in large changes in the size of theinterior cavity. Frequently there is encountered a phenomenon known assurging wherein the foam appears to be deposited in a cyclical mannerand the passage will vary from large to small and in some instancesclose entirely.

It would be desirable if there were available an improved method andapparatus for the deposition of foamable hardenable materials in stripform.

It would also be desirable if there were available improved method andapparatus which would deposit such a strip with a relatively uniformpassageway therein.

It would further be desirable if there were available an improved methodand apparatus for the deposition of foamable hardenable liquid materialswhich is relatively insensitive to operating conditions.

These benefits and other advantages in accordance with the presentinvention are achieved in an apparatus for the deposition of hardenablefoamable resin, the apparatus comprising in cooperative combination afoam depositing head, the depositing head comprising a frame, the frameoperating at least first and second foam restraining means, a drivemeans adapted to advance the depositing means at a predetermined rate, ameans to dispense foamable hardenable synthetic resinous material withinthe restraining means, the dispensing means having a deflecting means togenerally radially outwardly direct the hardenable foamable material bycentrifugal force, the improvement which comprises a rotatable mandrelaffixed generally adjacent the dispensing means, and means to rotatesaid mandrel.

Also contemplated within the scope of the present invention is a methodfor the deposition of a hollow strip of a hardened foamable syntheticresinous material, the method comprising depositing into a peripherallyrestraining configuration a foamable hardenable synthetic resinousmaterial in the generally radially outward direction from a centrallydisposed depositing means, permitting the resinous material to foam andharden, the improvement which comprises rotating a configuration withinthe resin during at least the initial portion of its curing andhardening.

Further features and advantages of the present invention will becomemore apparent from the following specification taken in connection withthe drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of foam deposition in accordancewith the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic partially cutaway view of a foam depositing headof the present invention.

In FIG. 1 there is schematically represented a structure 10 beingfabricated employing apparatus in accordance with the present invention.An operating head 11 is spirally depositing a synthetic resinous foamingmaterial to form the structure 10. The foam depositing head 11 is movingin the direction indicated by the arrow. A pivot 12 is centrallydisposed within the structure 10. The pivot 12 has affixed thereto anarm or boom 13 having a first end 14 pivoted to the pivot 12 in such amanner that the boom 13 may describe a varying solid angle. The arm 13has a second end 15 which is pivotally affixed to the materialdepositing head 11. A mobile power and material source 17 is remotelydisposed from the structure 10. A plurality of lines 19, 20, 21 and 22provide communication between the power and material source 17 and thefoam depositing head 11. An elevating means 23 adjustably positions thehead 11 or eye of the boom 15 in a vertical direction. Alternately, thesupply means may be located at any convenient point such as the pivot12.

In operation of the apparatus represented in FIG. 1, power and formablematerial are supplied from the power and material source 17 through thelines 19, 20, 21 and 22 through rotary joints (not shown) in the pivot12. The operating head is so constructed and arranged so as to grip theexisting portion of the structure 10 and propel itself in the directionindicated by the arrow while simultaneously depositing a quantity of ahardenable foamable material which adheres to the existing structure 10and increases its height by a predetermined amount generally in themanner of the addition of a foam strip in accordance with U.S. Pat. No.3,206,899, herewith incorporated by reference thereto.

In FIG. 2 there is depicted a schematic fractional cutaway view of afoam depositing head in accordance with the present invention generallydesignated by the reference numeral 30. The depositing head 30 comprisesan upper restraining means or forming belt assembly 31 which comprisesan endless belt 32 supported by a drum 33 and a drum 34. A belt heater35 is disposed adjacent the belt 32. A belt support plate 36 is disposedwithin the belt 31 and adjacent the area wherein foamable material isdeposited. A first side belt assembly 37 is disposed adjacent the topbelt assembly 31 and is generally similar to the top belt assembly 31. Asecond side belt assembly 38 is oppositely disposed to the side beltassembly 37. The belt assemblies 31, 37 and 38 provide a restrainingmeans and form a generally rectangular channel 40. A foam depositinghead 42 is disposed at least partially within the channel 40. Thedepositing head 42 comprises in cooperative combination a housing 43defining a first foam component passageway 44, a second foam componentpassageway 45, a mixing chamber 46 and a foam exit port 47. A motor ormixer rotating means 49 is affixed to the housing 43 and is operativelyaffixed to a hollow rotatable shaft 50 passing through the housing 43and is generally coaxial with the channel 40. A plurality of agitatorblades 52 are affixed to the shaft 50 and are partially disposed withinthe mixing chamber 46. A foamable resinous material 55 is propelledgenerally radially outwardly from the discharge opening 47 by a head ordiscoidal deflecting element 54 aided by a plurality of blades 56affixed to the shaft 50. The material 55 is deposited on the surfacesdefining the channel 40 where it foams to form a hollow generallyrectangular tube of foamed material 57. Operated on the shaft remotefrom the mixing chamber 46 is a generally cylindrical mandrel 58generally coaxially disposed to the shaft 50 and rotated therebyrelative to the restraining means. A generally frustoconical section 59of the mandrel 58 is disposed adjacent the blades 56 and tapered towardthe major body of the mandrel 58. Remote from the blades 56 the mandrel58 has a discharge orifice 60 which is in full communication with thehollow shaft 50 and a fluid or gas source, not shown, by means of arotary joint 63. The foam depositing head travels in the directionindicated by the arrow. A hollow deposited foam strip 65 is shown whichdefines an internal passageway 66 having a generally uniformcross-section. The strip 65 as depicted in FIG. 2 is being deposited ona previously deposited strip 65a.

The apparatus of the present invention can be employed with all foamablehardenable liquid resinous materials. Appropriate temperature andformulation control are known to those skilled in the art. All of thehardenable resinous compositions disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,443,276are eminently satisfactory for most operations. Apparatus generally asdepicted in FIG. 2 provides highly satisfactory strips with acceptablyuniform passageways therethrough. The apparatus and method of thepresent invention appear to operate by mechanically rupturing foam cellswhich contact the surface of the rotating cylinder. For most purposes itis not necessary that the surfaces of the cylinder extend into the tubefor any great distance, and generally a distance of from about 1 to 2feet is satisfactory. This, however, is variable, depending on the rateof deposition, temperature, formulation and the like. When the surfaceextends to a location where the cured resin normally has expanded toabout 75 percent of its ultimate foam, satisfactory results areobtained. However, if greater uniformity of the passageway is desiredthe rotating cylinder will extend further into the deposited strip. Itis desirable that the surfaces of the cylinder be prepared from amaterial of low adhesive characteristics such aspolytetrafluoroethylene, polypropylene or the like.

The apparatus of the present invention provides a particularlyconvenient mode of construction as a continuous passageway of generallydefined size is provided within the deposited foam strip. Beneficially,curing of the deposited foam is at least partly accomplished or aided byapplying a suitable heat exchange fluid through the hollow shaft 50 bymeans of the rotary joint 63 and discharging the gas from the dischargeorifice 60. Depending upon the characteristics of the particularmaterial being cured, the gas such as air may be heated to accelerate acure or may be cooled to prevent a too rapid cure.

As is apparent from the foregoing specification, the present inventionis susceptible of being embodied with various alterations andmodifications which may differ particularly from those that have beendescribed in the preceding specification and description. For thisreason, it is to be fully understood that all of the foregoing isintended to be merely illustrative and is not to be construed orinterpreted as being restrictive or otherwise limiting of the presentinvention, excepting as it is set forth and defined in thehereto-appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. In an apparatus for the deposition of hardenable foamable resin in the form of a hollow strip, the apparatus comprising in cooperative combination a foam depositing head, the depositing head comprising a frame, the frame having at least first and second foam restraining means, a drive means operatively associated with said depositing head to advance the depositing head at a desired rate, a means operatively associated with said first and second restraining means to dispense foamable hardenable synthetic resinous material within the first and second restraining means, the dispensing means having a deflecting means to generally radially outwardly direct the hardenable foamable material by centrifugal force, the improvement which comprisesa rotatable mandrel affixed generally adjacent the dispensing means, means connected to said mandrel to rotate said mandrel relative to the restraining means, the mandrel being disposed between the first and second restraining means and to contact the hardenable foamable resin during at least the initial portion of its foaming and hardening to thereby form a hollow foamed strip having a passageway therein of generally uniform cross section.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the mandrel is supported on a hollow rotatable shaft, the shaft having a passageway defined therein, the passageway extending through the mandrel and terminating remote from the depositing head.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the rotatable mandrel has a generally cylindrical configuration.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the deflecting means is a generally discoidal deflecting element.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4 including a plurality of blades affixed to the rotating shaft of an adjacent discoidal deflecting element.
 6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the mandrel has an external surface of polytetrafluoroethylene. 